On creating emotion
I am writing an extended essay in order to get my IB Diploma for school, and Mr. LaRue is my coordinator. My extended essay is about film, especially about emotions in film. I was wondering if you could help me out by answering a few questions.
What causes emotional catharsis in a movie?
What sort of components (lighting, sound, dialogue,…) have the most emotional effect on the viewers, and do you have any examples?
What techniques are used to produce emotions within the viewer of a movie?
What are some things that you have specifically done (relating to the screenplays that you have written) in order to produce emotions in a movie?
– Danielle
Fairview High School
Danielle is attending my former high school, so I feel some duty to steer her in the right direction, if not exactly answer her questions. But for readers who didn’t grow up in Boulder, Colorado, a little background is in order.
Boulder is a medium-sized (100,000) city tucked right into the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It has a much bigger national reputation than it should, largely because of its university (CU) and its reputation as a bastion for all things New Age-y. Mork and Mindy was set there, and quite believably; a man claiming to be an alien would not raise the slightest suspicion on its snowy streets.
There are two rival high schools in the city: Boulder High and Fairview. Except that Boulder High doesn’t really consider it a rivalry, because they’re too cool to give a shit. For example, Josh Friedman went to Boulder High, and would never need to answer a question from a student there, unless it was why his Terminator show glorifies violence at a time when G8 countries should be focusing on global debt relief.
It’s an accepted truth that schools are falling apart and today’s youth aren’t getting nearly the education older generations did, but by all accounts Fairview is actually a much more academically rigorous school now than when I attended. I took three AP classes, which would now be openly mocked by students like Danielle. I never wrote an extended essay about emotion in film. But if I did, I’d probably reach the following conclusions.
Emotional catharsis is a direct function of how much the audience identifies with the character(s). Catharsis is a journey through dark territory, and you don’t go on that trek unless you can put yourself in a given character’s place, and feel like you’re living that experience.
The triumvirate responsible for creating emotion are The Writer, who creates the character and lays out the obstacles; The Actor, who gives the character weight and breath; and The Director, who coordinates the technical elements (such as lighting, editing, and music) to achieve the emotional reaction desired.
An example from my own work: Will telling Edward the final story in Big Fish.
GIANT SPOILER WARNING if you haven’t seen the movie.
On a writing level, the moment wouldn’t work if we hadn’t invested time in seeing their dilemma from both sides: the frustrated son, the slippery father. The script sets up a lot of elements and characters for recalls: Karl the Giant, the shoes, the Girl in the River.
The performances are strong, with actors continuing threads established earlier. In particular, Billy Crudup tends to get overlooked here: because he’s so prickly earlier on, it’s particularly affecting to see him struggle to hold on.
Finally, Tim Burton directs the elements calmly. From visuals to music, he’s careful not to push too hard or too fast, letting the emotion kindle.
Good luck with the essay.
Filed under: Big Fish, Directors, Projects, QandA, Words on the page
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September 29th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
It’s truly bizarre how often one reads about the city of Boulder – one wouldn’t be so wrong to think it were Other Forces communicating something not unlike what was portrayed in Kubrick’s 2001.
I played a hockey tournament in Boulder circa 1988 (we won) and was uncomfortably aware of the city’s otherworldly energy back then – and for which I blamed at the time when I was caught playing with myself…
Neal Cassady was from Boulder was he not?
September 29th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Okay, only marginally on topic but the moment presented itself. The line “the damn church people drive too slow” is so spot on that I managed to finally forgive everyone involved for not being Southerners. It’s a perfect little regionalism, and only made me identify with Will even more.
September 30th, 2008 at 1:45 am
The fact that Mr. August takes the time to answer questions like these and others on his site still surprises me. It’s hard enough to get good sources in the newspaper industry when you work for a local college paper, but to see him take time out from his busy schedule to answer questions for a simple high school essay shows the depth and care August has for his fellow writers and about the film industry as a whole. Here’s to Mr. August.
September 30th, 2008 at 4:58 am
Damn that scene chokes me up.
September 30th, 2008 at 5:52 am
I totally agree with Thomas. Thanks John for being so accessible and down-to-earth. It reinforces my opinion that pound-for-pound, writers are among the most gracious and disarming of all the types of artists (obviously there are glaring exceptions, but I’ve always found this to be true, probably because it’s such a hard line of work).
September 30th, 2008 at 7:26 am
no offense, Mr. August, but I will always associate Colorado with JonBenet and the Columbine high school shootings :-s
I guess I am still stuck in the 90s lol
as for me, what makes a movie very emotional is good acting. I can get caught up pretty quickly if an actor has a real intense performance. Like “Scarface” for instance. I don’t like the movie itself, but Al Pacino’s performance was mind-blowing.
sometimes it’s EVERYTHING in a movie that affects my emotions. The lighting, the colors, the cinemateography, the clothes, the music, etc. An example would be almost every Hong Kong movie done by Wong Kar-Wai.
September 30th, 2008 at 7:27 am
@ Thomas: I agree. I appreciate that Mr. August takes time out to answer our questions and is very helpful with screenwriting tools, like Scrippet ^_^
September 30th, 2008 at 8:42 am
To me, Boulder is where you go to find Mother Abigail…
September 30th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Long time reader first time poster. I am an unemployed writer at the moment so in order to eat I am forced to have a day job. I have a 20 minute commute to work and the first thing that i do upon arriving to work is turn on my computer and grab some coffee and I check a few of my favorite sites. I was pleased to see the post today as it mentioned one of the most beautiful cities in our country. The city of Boulder which is nestled up against the Rocky Mountains just 20 miles west of Denver. I was unaware and now rather pleased to read that you went to Fairview. I was born and raised in Denver and spent many weekend nights in and around the Boulder area hiking,learning and partying with some of the best people Colorado has to offer.
I enjoy reading your thoughts and helpful advise please keep it up.
September 30th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Danielle, you might want to check out the first chapter of James Lipton’s book, Inside Inside. He talks about his interview with Scorsese on emotion & film. Here’s an excerpt, “…that the juxtaposition of any two images creates, according to Scorsese… a nonexistent image, “another thought that comes into your mind”- an entirely new reality that has been created (literally) by the filmmaker. In sum, your thoughts have been edited by the editor…”
September 30th, 2008 at 11:55 am
@Thomas While I agree with almost everything you said, I would just like to point out that an extended essay for the IB Diploma could never be considered “a simple high school essay”. Rather it is an externally assessed paper that is probably more rigorous than most college papers. But, I second your toast!
September 30th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
John, thanks for the insights. The Extended Essay for the high school IB diploma is hardly a “simple high school essay” (which are not your words, I know)… and Danielle has been contributing time and skills to film projects Joe and I are working on, as well as studying like crazy for the IB. I’m gearing up to teach film production at Fairview next year and this site will be required reading.
September 30th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Just watching that clip again brings back the same bittersweet feelings I had in the theater. Thanks again, John. Maybe someday I can thank you in person.
September 30th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Wow, posting youtube bootlegs from your own movie, I love it!
Also, was that a series bash against Friedman or a joke?
That scene was much better than I remember Big Fish being…You’ve just convinced me to go buy/rent it.
October 1st, 2008 at 4:21 am
Danielle could also look up the screenplays to films that she enjoyed or had an emotional impact on herself or others. There is a good chance they are online and in printable form.
October 1st, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Great writing, great delivery, perfect timing, and the perfect mood.
In almost every emotional experience I’ve encountered with a movie — with possibly the exception of REALLY clever comedy — I can feel it coming, I can see it coming, and if it hits just right… I’m crying/laughing/hiding before the moment even happens.
I think John nailed it here =)
October 1st, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Just with regard to the actual writing side of this, and watching the scene from Big Fish again, isn’t it amazing how the best films can completely toy with your emotions?
‘…a very big fish.’
It’s such a comedic end to that line — you want to laugh and cry all at the same time.
I have often found that wonderful writers kill you with laughter, right before, or just after they break your heart.
October 1st, 2008 at 8:11 pm
@racicot:
Neal Cassady lived in Boulder at some point, but I don’t think he was really “from” there. But I’m too lazy to Google.
@Hunter:
I actually adore The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and Josh, who is so busy working on the former that I only see him on random kid playdates.
Reminder to everyone that the script is in the library if you want it.
October 4th, 2008 at 5:33 am
Put it simply, I cried, and I cried, and I cried, and I cried.
One of the things that will touch me in a movie scene is when I see a group of people, set up in earlier scenes, appear during a man’s final moments as he reviews his life, and this one is especially poignant because the man in question, Ed Bloom, had such a magnificent, adventurous life and met so many colorful, wonderful ‘returning’ characters who have all been affected deeply, changed even, like Jenny, by this strong, brave man.
Makes me hope, makes us all wish I guess, to be someone like Ed Bloom, or to blessedly have someone like him in our lives.